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Church & State

So-called “crisis pregnancy” centers are receiving taxpayer support in several states, even though they proselytize and discriminate in hiring, an investigative report says.

Sofia Resnick of The American Independent studied these centers in several states and wrote an exposé on them. She reports that at least seven states – Texas, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota and Pennsylvania – steer public aid to these facilities. A few have even received indirect federal funding through the stimulus package passed in 2009.

“Collectively, for the current fiscal year, they are allocating approximately $17 million to these anti-abortion centers,” writes Resnick on the news website.

The centers are not supposed to use public money to promote religion, but there is virtually no oversight to stop them. The facilities are owned, operated and staffed by people who believe abortion is a sin, and they exist to persuade women not to make that choice.

In some states, the centers take part in mandated pre-abortion counseling. In South Dakota, for example, counseling is required prior to receiving an abortion, and several Christian centers are on the state-approved list to provide it.

These centers impose religious qualifications on all staff and volunteers.